Reel



July 24, 1928. I 1,678,472

L. JOHNSON I I REEL Filed Dec. '7, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 g a 1 fl a July 1928' 1% L. JOHNS I I REEL 2 Sheets-Sh 2 F led De 1923 Patented July 24, 1928.

v UNITED \STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LANE JOHNSON, PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED ENGINEER- ING AND FOUNDRY COMPANY, OFPITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION 7 OF PENNSYLVANIA.

REEL.

Application filed December 7, 1923. Serial No. 679,134.

The present invention relates to reels, and more particularly to reels for coiling strip, wire or similar material.

When coiling material which is being positively delivered to thereeling mechanism, or which is supported on a carrier or reel, the leading end of the material is secured to the winding drum and the latter is started up.

It is desirable to initially rotate the drum at a relatively high speed, in order to quickly take up the slackfand thereafter coil at a lower speed. The object of the pres ent invention is to provide a reel embodying;

automatic means for reducing the speed of rotation of the drum at the instant that the slack is taken up, in order that the material being coiled may not be subjected to a sudden tension tending to snap the same. I

In the accompanying drawings, there is shown, for purposes of illustration only, one embodiment of the present invention, it bein understood that the drawings do not define the limits of the invention, as changes may be made in the construction and operation therein disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of my broader claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view bodymg my invention; Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view on the line IIII of Figure 1, and

Figure 3 is an end view of the reel shown in Figure 1.

In the illustrative embodiment of the invention, the reference numeral 2 designates a suitable .base upon which the reeling of a reel emmechanism is supported. Supported in bearings 3 is a shaft 4 upon one end of which .is mounted a coiling drum 5. A motor 6 is supported on the base and drives the shaft 4 through a train of. gears 7 and differential means which will now be de scribed;

The differential means comprises a pair of aligned shafts 8 and 9, each supported in bearings 10 rising from the base 2. The shaft 9 is adapted to be operatively connected to the motor 6 through a suitable clutch 11, and the shaft 8 may have a brake 12 associated therewith. The adjacent ends of the shafts Sand 9 project into a housing 13, the said housing being pivotally supported upon said projecting ends. Within the housing is a pair of bevel pinions 14 which are journaled upon stub-shafts 15 extending at right angles to the shafts 8 and 9, these bevel pinions meshing with bevel gears 16 and 17 on the ends of theshafts 8 and 9. The housing is oil-tight and comprises a cover 18 having a covered opening 19 therein, through which suitable oil or grease may be introduced. The housmg has an arm 20 extending at right angles to the shafts 8 and 9, and a guide rod 21 extends through the arm near the free end thereof; This guide rod is pivoted at its lower end to an upwardly extending lug 22 r sing from the base 2, and has its upper These springs normally maintain the arm 20 in a horizontal position. The upper spring constitutes resilient means tending to restrict the swinging of the arm 20 in a counter-clockwise direction.

In order to cushion and partially check the return movement of the arm 20, there may be provided a dash-pot cylinder 28 supported on the base 2 and having a piston 29 working therein. A piston rod 30 is pivotally connected at its lower end to the piston, and has its upper end connected to the arm 20. The dash-pot may have an air connection31 provided with a controllable air opening 32 adapted to be regulated by a valve 33 and with a check valve 34 tending to restrict downward movement of the piston in the cylinder, but permitting relatively unrestricted upward movement thereof.

Advantage is taken of theswinging movements of the arm 20 to control the speed of the motor, and to that end the arm is connected by a link 35 to the arm 36 of a rheostat 37 in the motor circuit. r

In operation, the coiling drum 5 is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction, as viewed -in Figure 3, and the ,material M, representedby a chain line in Figure 1, moves in the direction of the arrow. During I theinitial rotation of the drum for the purfor the difierential means in the driving 1 connection between the motor and the drama At the instant that the slack in the material is taken up, the speed of rotation of the bevel gear 16 becomes momentarily less than that of the bevel gear 17 owing to the pull of the material, so. that the latter gear causes the bevel pinions 14 to roll on the bevel gear 16 and the difl'erentialhousing' 13and arm 20 toswing in a cdunter elockwise direction. As the arm 20.is' moved in this manner, the rheostat arm 36 is moved in a'direction todecrease the speed of the motor. In this manner, the motor speed is decreased as soon as the slack in the'material is taken up, thereby avoiding any possibility of snappin the material because of l a suddenly appli increased tensionjbeing embodying differential means of rotation of the drum placed thereon. The advantages of the invention arise from the provision of a reelin mechanism or relieving strain on the material being-coiled at the instant that the slack therein is taken up, and for automatically changing the speed at such time. I claim :v

1. The combination with a drivin motor,

of an element driven thereb a di erential gear-mechanism through w ich the motor and driven element are connected, and a' wmotor control associated with the ditferen- 'tial, said control'being arranged toslow downthe driving motor when ment is slowed down. a

2. The combination with a driving and a driven element operatively vconnected the driven elethrough a. differential gear mechanism, said 'mecha'nism including a difierential :gear' frame, of an arm on said frame, a motor 5 controller'o ratively assoclated with t 0- arm, and res' 'ent means for resisting I position in either direction.

the movement of the arm out of anormal 3. Thecombination with a drivin motor, of a drum driven thereby, a differential operatively interposed between the driving ele ment and the drum, and a motor controlling element operatively connected with the differential whereby the motor speed maybe varied in accordance with variations in the load on the drum.

4. The-combination with a ree1 of a driving 'otor for thereel, a differential driving gear between the motor and the reel for relieving the strain on the material being reeled when. the same becomes taut, and a motor control operatively connected'with the diiferential ar and adapted to slow down the motor w en movement of the difierential is caused by the material becoming taut and to speed up the motor when the difierential gear moves in the opposite direction by the material becoming slack. i

5. The combination with a reel, of a driving motor for the reel, a difi'erential driving gear between the motor and the reel for relieving the strain on the material being reeled when the same becomes taut, a

motor, control operatively connected with the differential and adapted to slow down the motor when the movement of the diflt'er- V ential is caused by the material becoming taut and to speed up the motor when the di'fl'erential moves-in the'opposite direction by'the material becoming slack, and means for 'yieldably resisting the movement of the differential gearin either direction from a g norinal position.

6. The combination with a drivingmotor of an element driven thereby, opposed gears through which power is transmitted from the motor tothe driveh element, a diflt'erem tial gear frame rotatably supported between thetwo' gears and having pinions thereon which mesh with the two gears by means of which power is transmitted from one of thegears to the other, an arm on the gear .frame, means for yieldably resisting a movement of. the arm ineither direction to thereby yieldably-restrain the frame against rotation, av motor controlling device operatively connected with the arm for actuation upon the movement of the arm, and a stabilizing means connected with the arm.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand. 1

' JOHNSON. 

